A New Direction.

(image courtesy of socialearth.org)

If you read my last post, you saw that I am in the process of re-thinking this blog; its content and its purpose. In doing so, I sat down and thought about my Etsy shop and what its really about. Art and design? Sure, my cards feature my original artwork and I love design. Entrepreneurship? Definitely. Its my little foray into the world of owning one's own business. But neither of these subjects really captures what my shop is about. And while worthy topics for a blog both, neither made me feel passionate about writing.

(image courtesy of arimoore)

Giving. That's the purpose of my shop. That lights a fire in me. That makes me want to write. Taking the time to pick out a handcrafted card for someone, to fill its blank space with your own words and thoughts and well-wishes, and delivering it to that person with the purpose of brightening their day. That's why I make my cards. That's why I think, in this age of electronic impersonal communication, you should take the time to send a hand-written note. You should buy handmade. You should put real thought into the gifts you give and the notes you write. You should think about those around you, how you can help them, what you can do in your own little way to make a difference. You should think of the earth and how to play a part in saving it. You should consider those less fortunate and try to have an impact in a place far from your own comfortable spot in the world. We should all do these things. But its not always easy, is it? We often need a reminder, sometimes a point in the right direction, a kick in the seat of the pants. (Butt seemed a little too harsh, I'm trying to be eloquent here)

Which brings me to the new face of this blog. No longer will I bore you with mundane details about the daily goings on of my little business. Well, sometimes I will. But I'll talk about other stuff too:) So, I'm going to help you and me give a little bit. Little giving and big giving. To our neighbors and to those far away. On special occasions or for no reason. I'm so excited about this new direction that I feel like writing a billion posts right now. Instead I should probably brush my teeth and get my life together before the Chubblers wakes from his nap.

So I'll leave you with this, some insight into what you'll be seeing in the new blog. I can't wait:)

• Good Deed of the Day - I'm going to do one good deed a day and I'm going to make you do them too.
• Gift Guides - wondering what to get your Mom for mother's day? Or the quilter/golfer/sports nut etc in your life? Or the nurse that delivered your baby? I'm going to help you do that.
• Where Your Money Goes - I'm big on giving back and every month I give a portion of proceeds from my Etsy shop to a worthy charity. Each month I'll feature which charity I've selected for that month and explain how you can give too.
• Cause of The Week - I'll tell you where to focus your attention and your giving. And I'll ask you to give me ideas about this too!
• Etsy Finds - Etsy is all about quality, handmade, local goods and you can't go wrong shopping there for your thoughtful gifts. I'll help you find the best thats out there.

Stay tuned! I hope you're excited too.